Photography Stele on Turtle in the Temple of Heaven
Photography Stele on Turtle in the Temple of Heaven
CC BY-SA 4.0
A black-and-white photograph showing a stele standing on the back of the mythological turtle Bixi 贔 屃, in the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan 天壇), built by the Yongle Emperor (reigned 1402–1424) in 1420. Here the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties performed rites of divine worship twice a year.
Memorial plaques or stelae mounted on turtles, which originated in China, are found throughout East Asia. Originally they were used as gravestones, but they were later also used to commemorate important events. The turtle supporting the stele symbolises the longevity and virtue of the deceased person. In the photo we see a turtle hybrid, a mythological Bixi creature, one of the nine sons of the Chinese Dragon King.
The photograph is the 33rd of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Schildkröten-Denkmal ... more
A black-and-white photograph showing a stele standing on the back of the mythological turtle Bixi 贔 屃, in the Temple of Heaven (Tiantan 天壇), built by the Yongle Emperor (reigned 1402–1424) in 1420. Here the emperors of the Ming and Qing dynasties performed rites of divine worship twice a year.
Memorial plaques or stelae mounted on turtles, which originated in China, are found throughout East Asia. Originally they were used as gravestones, but they were later also used to commemorate important events. The turtle supporting the stele symbolises the longevity and virtue of the deceased person. In the photo we see a turtle hybrid, a mythological Bixi creature, one of the nine sons of the Chinese Dragon King.
The photograph is the 33rd of 449 photographs of Beijing and its surroundings in the album of Ivan Skušek Jr., purchased during his stay in Beijing (1914–1920). In the handwritten inventory of the album, the photograph is referred to as Schildkröten-Denkmal im “Blauen Tempel”. (DZ)
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